Waterloo Region’s public school board to consider anti-racism recommendations

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WATERLOO REGION — The Waterloo Region District School Board will look into demands to combat long-standing racism in its schools made by the Black Parent Council KW.

“We do know that this community is dealing with a lot right now and if there is a way that we can support and provide some clarity and make some appropriate changes, we’d be more than happy to,” trustee Jayne Herring said at Monday night’s meeting.

“I look forward to hearing back from staff with some concrete suggestions and recommendations.”

Trustee Kathleen Woodcock’s motion to refer the council’s demands to staff to provide a report and their own recommendations to the board was carried.

The final recommendation calling for the removal of several trustees and staff was excluded from the motion because that’s not in the board’s power.

“It is not in our authority to remove any trustee unless they are convicted on an indictable offense and that is clearly not the case,” board chair Scott Piatkowski said at the start of the discussion.

The Black Parent Council KW sent an open letter to both the public and Waterloo Catholic District School Board in March following incidents in two Kitchener elementary schools. Police were called to control a four-year-old Black student at a Catholic school in November, and two children were tied up with tape and left in a dark room at a public school in October, leading to a teacher being charged with assault.

“We as Black parents of the Waterloo region have come together to say, ‘enough is enough,’ Our children endure racial trauma, racial stress and identity-based harm on a daily basis in Waterloo Region’s schools,” the letter read.

The collective of parents of children attending schools in both boards said they’ve come together to take action against racism and violence against Black, Indigenous, racialized, transgender, ethnoreligious identities and other communities that have been marginalized and disenfranchised by systemic oppression and ongoing colonization .

“The Black Parent Council KW is a group of parents and caregivers who have come together to advocate for their children experiencing racism and violence within both WRDSB and WCDSB. The stories that are being shared are traumatic and devastating. These stories are corroborating what we already know: WRDSB and WCDSB are rooted in white supremacist culture.”

The letter says there are “decades of evidence, research, incidents, trauma and systemic oppression existing in plain sight that corroborate our experiences. Perhaps, what is most traumatic about being a Black parent at this moment, is witnessing our children experience the same harms we experienced and our parents experienced. The systems have not changed.”

The council’s 12 demands:

1. Third-party investigation into all racial violence in WRDSB & WCDSB

2. All issues reported to human rights to be investigated by a third party

3. Third-party investigator to be an anti-racism consultant and/or culturally appropriate consultant (knowledgeable specifically in anti-black racism)

4. Investigate inequitable policies and procedures that are harming Black, Indigenous, racialized, Muslim and queer students

5. Development and implementation of anti-racism policy for both WRDSB & WCDSB

6. Hire Black racial equity consultants to complete a full audit of both boards and best practices

7. Investigation into how policies and procedures are applied when holding teachers & administrators who perpetuate racial violence accountable.

8. Increase funding for CYWs, SWs, psychologists and culturally responsive mental wellness supports

9. Investigation into racially biased hiring procedures and practices

10. Afro-centered and culturally responsive sources of knowledge

11. Offer Saturday Afrocentric school for K-8

12. Removal of Mike Ramsay, Cindy Watson, principal of John Sweeney Catholic School and Loretta Notten, director of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.

The council’s letter said it wants to see immediate change.

“We are here to say that we are not asking, we are demanding change now. We are here to hold all of you accountable for turning a blind eye to child abuse and allowing our children to be taught by racist child abusers,” it read.

Another motion to meet with the Catholic board to discuss common challenges was not passed.

More to come.

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